Gary Gray stands firm: foreign labour is OK

Gary Gray, with the Governor-General, is sworn in as the new Resources and Energy Minister on Monday.
Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

by
Phillip Coorey | Chief political correspondent

New Resources and Energy Minister
Gary Gray
has endorsed emphatically the use of foreign skilled labour, sending a strong signal to the union movement that he will fight overzealous attempts to curb skilled visa programs.

Mr Gray, a
Julia Gillard
loyalist and former Woodside Petroleum executive, told The Australian Financial Review that skilled migrants were critical for economic growth.

There was a role for Enterprise Migration Agreements, even though none were yet in operation, while 457 visas “form a critical part of our labour supply and our skilled labour supply’’.

In recent weeks Ms Gillard has used sharp rhetoric against the 457 visa program and clamped down on the criteria for issuing the visas in response to union criticism and job security fears among Australian workers.

Mr Gray said that when there were rorts, they should be stopped, but predominantly the scheme was working “to the beneficial advantage of all of Australia’’.

Denies he is at odds with PM over 457s

Asked if he was at odds with the Prime Minister on the subject, he said: “I don’t believe I’m at odds with any fair dinkum people in growing the economy, ­growing the resources sector or any other sector of our economy that needs skills.’’

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“We need to have a carefully thought through skilled migration program that can support the needs of the economy. In order for us to ensure that the resources sector continues to grow and that new projects begin on time and on budget, we need to have the best ­possible structures in place to support the skilled worker needs of the Australian economy."

On Tuesday, Ms Gillard will be in Mr Gray’s home town of Perth, where he is clinging to the marginal seat of Brand and where foreign skilled labour is ­popular.

The reshuffle was caused by the ousting of four ministers. Tertiary education minister
Chris Bowen
and regional development minister
Simon Crean
were pushed from cabinet, and human services minister
Kim Carr
dumped from the outer ministry.

Mr Ferguson resigned in solidarity. Parliamentary secretary
Richard Marles
was also dumped and three whips, led by chief Rudd backer
Joel ­Fitzgibbon
, fell on their swords. The whips will be replaced by caucus when Parliament next meets in May

While there were new promotions, the bulk of the duties performed by the sacked ministers were transferred to those Ms Gillard trusts or relies upon.

Duties loaded on top of others

Apart from Mr Gray replacing Mr Ferguson, the other duties were loaded on top of those already being done by Environment Minister
Tony Burke
, Transport and Infrastructure Minister
Anthony Albanese
, Trade and Asian Century Policy Minister
Craig ­Emerson
, and Attorney-General
Mark Dreyfus
.

Mr Albanese, the only Rudd supporter rewarded, was given Mr Crean’s Regional Development and Local Government portfolios.

Mr Dreyfus inherits Mr Gray’s old junior ministry roles of Special Minister of State and the Public Service.

In all, there were two new cabinet ministers, four new outer ministers and five new parliamentary secretaries.

Unveiling her new ministry, a contrite Ms Gillard told voters that last week’s events, which culminated in a botched leadership coup, were “self-­indulgent’’ and “appalling’’, and promised that the electorate would have the government’s undivided attention until election day.

Gillard pledges focus is solely Abbott

“It was an unseemly display but out of that has come clarity,’’ she said. She said fighting Mr Abbott was her focus and she would have zero tolerance for acts of disloyalty. “There, of course, should be no tolerance for any conduct which diverts eyes from our proper purpose, which is concentrating on the needs of the Australian people.’’

Ms Gillard also said the media laws, which fuelled leadership unrest before failing in Parliament last week, would never be revisited.

A bitter Mr Crean said Ms Gillard could no longer blame
Kevin Rudd
or his now-former backers for the government’s mistakes.

“She can’t blame the potential for leaking, now that she’s got a cabinet that she put in," he said.